Hi all!
I'm an MD, thinking of leaving residency to go into biotech. I have an BS in Engineering, 3 years of full-time work experience in genomics research, and an MS in Clinical Research. What are my realistic salary prospects?

Parexel had Layoffs in May 2024 and October 2024. They were not getting any new projects, so they had to let go the pharmacovigilance team based in US to improve their profit margins. They are planning to have another round of layoffs in early 2025.

Long-time reader, first-time poster - I’ve searched through Reddit and various communities but can’t see anything recent on working at BeiGene (BeOne Medicines in the US) so hoping you can all help…

I’m being offered a role with them - through the interview process, it’s clear that they’re still building so it would be very much a hands-on role (and that doesn’t put me off, I’d be joining from another high-growth biotech)…but I do wonder about whether employees are empowered to do their best work or it’s just “whack-a-mole” (where one is expected to do the work of several people at once)…and therefore the subsequent / most common style of leadership which employees experience?

I admire their company-wide remote work ethos - although could that hinder possibilities of effective collaboration? And of course, it seems a lot of decision-making sits in China, which brings cultural and timezone considerations - neither of which is a negative thing for me personally, but I imagine it may affect the day-to-day.

For what it’s worth, I’ve had a positive interview experience and I like those who I have encountered - but as I weigh this up, it would be beneficial to source other viewpoints too.

Keen to hear the perspective of those who have experience and insights (either first-hand or otherwise), in US and Europe - do provide the good, the bad, and everything in between!

Hi all,

I am in a bit of a difficult situation and could use some help. I am an international student who was working as a Histology Technician in Columbus, but unfortunately the company I worked for has closed operations and I am unemployed now. I have 2 weeks of unemployment days left before my Optional Practical Training (OPT) expires at which point I will have to leave the states.

I have a masters in Biomedical Engineering, and I want to apply what I have learned in the real world, but it's difficult to find opportunities with the 2 weeks that I have. Luckily, I can stop the clock by volunteering or taking on an unpaid position as long as it is related to my field. If anyone knows of any opportunities, please reach out. I appreciate all help. Thank you.

I have an interview with Merck next week for a scientist position at the Pennsylvania location. I have interviewed with Merck once before for a Boston location for a lab manager position (I got to the second round, but didn’t end up getting that job). I really have enjoyed hearing about Merck’s work environment when I interviewed with them in the past, but I would love to know more about Merck specifically about the Pennsylvania location. Any advice about their interviewing process and that location, would be appreciated. While I’m keeping this interview in mind, I also know that the it is layoff season so I am not hopeful for going onto the next round or receiving an offer. By the way for any job seekers out there, it took me 55 applications to finally land an interview.

I have been offered two potential roles one at IQVIA in their RWE consulting arm and the other in Merck as a generalist in house consulting.

I am trying to decide which will offer better future career prospects. So setting aside the salaries and job locations which are factoring into my decision, does anyone have any views on where it would be better for long term growth.

For context I am a PhD grad with a couple years industry experience.

Since joining my company about 2 years ago, my group has shrunk from a solid 15 people to just 3, with 1 planned layoff leaving me with 2 people. These have not all been layoffs - only 3, but most of them moving from my group to another.

The focus of the company has changed but I have a clear and critical deliverable that needs to be met this year that does carry some financial implications for the company. With this change in focus, my boss over the course of several months has been harping at me that my job was on the line and I had until the summer before I may have to start looking. This is before the massive layoffs and the economy tanking so they actually thought they would be hiring more people (that could replace me). Hearing this from my boss immediately triggered me to start looking and I have been very fortunate that I have a few potential significant opportunities that offer a promotion and at least a 2 year financial runway. I think my current company has a sense that I may be looking, and have been back peddling and my current company has promised (in writing with my manager and HR) that I would also be absorbed into this new focus area which is great and what I would have wanted to be done so much sooner than later- but it’s a little too late.

There is a lot to unpack and so much toxicity and finger pointing and my boss (who is not aware that they are not well liked at all! And that there is an orchestrated coup boiling under their nose) attempting to paint a narrative about me behind the scenes that I am honestly just mentally done with this place.

What complicates this is that I really respect our CEO and I do believe in what we are trying to do, the people I work with day to day are amazing. The CEO also made a verbal promise to me too; but I also fear this is just a means to an end for me to stay until I deliver this financial gain for the company.

I have this potential shift in my role not until Q3 when my main objective will be completed, this is in writing, but I am also not naive enough to believe that this holds any water…

WYD?

I’m mastering out in june and have applied to numerous positions ever since I made the decision. For this specific company, I have applied for at least 5 roles at this company. I got an email yesterday wanting to do an phone screening where they want me to prepare 10-15 presentation over what I have done. The position is analytical chemist and I am not very interested.. I want to be in r and d. Of course I don’t have much choices and will take any opportunity, but Im just kinda disappointed that after all the things I applied to, Im getting interviewed on the field I am least qualified to be in.. Im saying this because I have applied for other positions that better matches what I have done in the past. For this position, they want me to have experiences on instruments I barely have experience with, and I thought my resume shows that I never mentioned such instruments..

Also, the position is for bs/ms level ( no experience level listed) without pay info online.. and for that I think expecting 10-15min presentation was a bit more than I would have expected. Or is this normal..? I have only been in academia. any ways, super excited for this opportunity and will try my best!

I've been called to interview at a life sciences consultancy (market access, HEOR niche). They told me that I'll be given an article to analyze and prepare a brief presentation on, within the interview. They didn't provide any more information and this is the first time I'll be doing such an interview. Does anyone have any idea what kind of articles I could expect or has anyone been through a similar process? Thanks for any advice you may have!

Anyone have experience interning in Abbott R&D (pay, lifestyle, etc.)

I am thinking to switch from a postdoc position to a more stable manager position in a university core facility.
I won't perform experiments or bench work anymore but I will help many other labs with theirs by using the tools and facilities our service offer and by providing consultation.
It will also allow me to network more closely with companies interested in collaborating with our core facility. In addition, I will work on the financial aspect of managing the facility: budget, grant applications for new purchases etc etc.
I really like this role also because I was never that interested in having my own lab.
What do you think? Can this position give me more career opportunities in the future? How are those positions considered by the private sector?

Hello. I see frequent LinkedIn posts about how “medical information” jobs are a great gateway into pharma. The problem is that in MONTHS of searching, I’ve never seen a medical information job posting. Not one. I see people on LinkedIn with “Medical Information Specialist” as their job title, but I can’t find one of these elusive jobs to apply for. 😂🤣 Is there a back door? Is there a list of alternative job titles?

Any help would be welcome. 🙂

Hi all,

I'm in the UK and about to graduate with an MSci in Biomedical Science. I’ve done a placement year in an academic research lab and really enjoyed the hands-on lab work, especially working with cell cultures, pipetting, and molecular biology techniques. However, I’ve realised that I don’t want to stay in academic research long term.

I’m worried that continuing in research (especially via a PhD) would lead to burnout and make me tie too much of my self-worth to my work. I want better work-life balance, the ability to log off at the end of the day, and ideally a structured role with stability and decent progression over time. I’m also not interested in supervisory roles or constantly having to find funding or drive novel ideas, I’d rather follow established protocols and contribute to a bigger team effort.

Now I'm looking more into Quality Control (QC) roles in biotech or cell therapy, especially those involving molecular biology or cell-based assays doing things like PCR, ELISA, flow cytometry, or cell viability testing, anything where I can stay connected to the science without the pressure of constantly publishing or chasing grants.

I’m wondering:

Are there other job paths like QC that I should consider?

How competitive are entry-level QC roles in the UK biotech scene?

Would taking a GMP online course help me stand out if I don’t yet have formal GMP experience?

How did others here make the transition from academia to more structured industry lab roles?

Thanks in advance for any advice I’d really appreciate hearing what others have done!

Hi all, currently experiencing layoffs due to organisation rejig (work in early biotech) and wanted to get advice from folks here on maintaining one's head while going through a layoff. I'm still trying to get about the day finding and applying for jobs on LinkedIn but most jobs aren't a good fit and have difficulties in convincing myself about my candidature for different positions. The current news about ongoing layoffs is pretty demoralizing as well. I'm looking for any advice that people might have which helped them navigate this situation mentally and appear confident when talking to recruiters. Thanks in advance to everyone.

Hi everyone,

I’m currently in the final year of my Master’s in Molecular Biology, doing a research project on circular RNAs in cancer. My background is in veterinary medicine (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from a developing country), and I currently work part-time as a veterinary lab assistant in a diagnostic lab.

I’ve been thinking seriously about my next steps: Should I pursue a PhD or try my best to get a foot in the biotech industry now?

My long-term goal is to maybe work in clinical research or R&D and eventually move into a leadership role in biotech. I know a PhD can be essential for R&D and higher-level positions, but I’m not sure if it’s necessary if I’m aiming for industry rather than academia. I’m also unsure if I’d be considered for leadership roles in the future without it.

I’ve been trying to move away from the veterinary niche—part of why I pursued a Master’s in another country—but I do worry I’ll be pigeonholed into that area unless I pivot strongly now.

Also, if doing a PhD is the right move, I’d love to hear your thoughts on where the best places are right now to do a PhD in biotech, especially in translational or clinical research.

Would really appreciate any insights from those who’ve been in the same position or have experience navigating this path!

Thanks!

At my company, we are basically using Excel to document experiments. They have a lot of repetition, but there is some new information and of course original data. We also use Word to write SOPs, Protocols, and Reports from scratch - maybe there’s a template.

Are people using automation or AI to make these tasks less time consuming and have less errors? I would love for my team to be able to spend less time on documentation.

International postdoc here! 6 years of postdoc in the US and trying to switch to industry. My PI told me back in January that he won't be able to keep supporting my position due to all the funding cuts. I've been applying to jobs since then, I'm not in a biotech hub but I'm willing to relocate and I've been applying everywhere with no luck. I have less than a year to find a job in order to keep my visa, I know how bad the market is currently, and I'm trying to be patient and keep applying, but facing rejection every day and not landing a single interview has affected me deeply, specially when I apply to jobs that I think I could be a great fit. I'm trying to not take it personal but I keep seeing posts of people getting interviews and I just want to know how?? I tailor my resume accordingly to each job, and I've applied to entry levels jobs but still no luck, any advice on how keep going and not get in despair? Has anyone gone through the same? are there any changes that you made that help you to start getting more interviews? Please I need some guidance and advice

Hi all, Just feeling emotionally and mentally drained after what’s been a long unemployment search and will continue to be.. also perhaps I’ve invested too much time on opportunities that I never really had a real chance at…

To hiring managers who interview both internally and externally- in your experience are the internal candidates already essentially a “shoe-in”? Talking to Abbvie, BMS, AstraZeneca .

Perhaps I’ve just been unlucky but realistically, I have no choice but to continue interviewing when given the opportunity. it’s not like I’m in a position to turn down anything, really- beggars can’t be choosers. At the same time -I’m just wondering if there are certain things I can identify or ask ahead of time at the screening stage that’ll clue me in to whether or not this will be a waste of my time…

I’m new to industry. On Tuesday I had a second round interview with big pharma and it went really well. The hiring manager and I vibed the whole time and she kept telling me how well my experience fits into this role. At the end of the interview, she told me I’m moving onto the next round (panel interview) and that HR would contact me asap to schedule. I sent her a follow up email the next day thanking her for her time and reaffirming my interest in the role. I still haven’t heard from HR and she hasn’t replied to my email. So far in the interview process, HR was very fast to respond to my emails, so I’m confused. Am I cooked? Am I being ghosted, or is this normal? How long should I wait before counting this one out? I really want this job because I’m really passionate about the company and the scope of the role, so I would be disappointed if I got ghosted.

Update:

They emailed me to schedule. I was just paranoid for no reason. Sorry guys. Keeping this up so other nervous people can learn from me in the future.

Animal biotech or plant biotech

Hi everyone!

Not sure if I picked the right flare, but here it goes.

I used to work in the biotech field before making the transition to computer science. I had an idea for a software product while working in the lab, and recently have made a prototype using my grad school experience (sorry about the vagueness, still early on). I'm still in grad school and working as a solo developer. I was considering looking into equity crowdfunding because I have some existing biotech connections that might find my idea useful.

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with crowdfunding within the biotech space that could offer advice? From what I can find online, www.wefounder.com is a site where biotech founders have had some success.

hi guys. currently i work in a start up company that i’ve been with for about 3 years now. i wear lot of hats on top of my lab rat duties, and the biggest hat i wear is inventory management. i helped solve some major inventory discrepancies (a 1000+ items) and the experience has got me thinking about doing supply chain. i’ve been wanting to get a masters degree in something, and i kinda enjoy inventory management ngl way more than being at the bench. what do yall think? any advice greatly appreciated!

Hi all - I have a job offer to join Lantheus. I see their Glassdoor review is middle of the road (3.1) which is higher than the place I work.

Anyone have thoughts on them as a place to work? Do they have good work/life balance, good management? Etc.